Method of assembling buttons



Patented May 22, 19233.

ALBERT LATHAM, 013 BEVERLY, IEASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNUR TO AIQEBICM BUTTON & FASTENER 00., OF AUGUSTA, MAINE, CORIPOEATTON,OF1 IAINE. I

TEETHOD 0F ASSEEIIBLING BUTTONS.

Application filedDecember e, 1919. Serial 1%. 342,968.

'2" 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ALBERT LA'lI-IAM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Beverly, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain Improvements in Methods of Assembling Buttons, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like reference charactors on the drawings indicating like parts in the several figures.

This invention relates to the assembling of button parts, it more particularly concerning a method of bringing together to form a button a body portion provided with an opening and a plurality of securing portions therefor. U

The usual procedure in making buttons having a perforated pearl or other frangible body or blank and a metal securing eye is to insert the opposite shanks of the eye portion in the blank opening with the ends projecting therethrough, and then upset these ends over the blank, as by spinning or by direct pressure, to hold the parts in co- ,operation. This is open to several objections. It is usually desirable, especially in the better classes of buttons, as adding to their attractiveness, to have the outer face of the button highly finished, as by polishing the blank and by plating or polishing the central spot of metal. When the parts are assembled as above outlined, the ends of the shanks are necessarily deformed in the upsetting process, so thatnothing of their original appearance remains. If, on the other hand, the turned-over. ends at the center of the assembled button are polished or plated, the finish of the pearl is almost certainly impaired by the polishing material or by the acid of the plating bath. To guard against the bursting of the blank by transverse strain during the turning over of the ends of the shanks, it is customary to have a substantial clearance between the shanks and the Wall of the openingthrough which they extend. This being true, a proper limiting of the pressure applied to the shank ends, so they shall be upset without crushing the blank, is very likely to leave the shanks unduly loose in the opening. Moreover, as it is difiicult to force down, without excessive strain upon the blank, the shank material, either into a recess surrounding the blank opening or into close contact with the face, of the blank, there tends to remain a space between the overturned portions of the shanks and the blank, by which wearing apparel may be caughtand torn; In view of such conditions, an object of this invention is toprovide a method of assembling the elements of buttons, whereby there will be attained secure and intimate union while in a finished condition, without injuriously affecting the ornamentation or polish, and without endangering the blank.

In the accomplishment of this object, a feature of the invention consists in bringing a plurality of securing portions into cooperation with a body portion or blank, and exerting pressure upon opposite extremities of one of said securing portions to expand it and cause the permanent connection of these parts without alteration of the form or finishof the visible surfaces. While this may be accomplished with little rupturin strain of the body, I prefer to so hold said body as to limit its expansion. To increase the security of the connection, one of the securing portions is preferably forced over the body by pressure applied to said securing portions.

Buttons of the type to which this in vention is especially applicable sometimes have a depression extending transversely of the body opening in its under side, in which depression one of the securing portions, as the eye, is seated to prevent relative rotation of the parts. To produce proper co-operation of the elements in their assembling. bring the body and a securing portion together to cause the location of the latter within the former, and then turn said portions relatively in contact with each other until the securing portion and depression co-operate. This turning is preferably by frictional engagement, so that the friction may slip when co-operation is effected, and,

therefore, the disengagement need not betimed exactly.

The steps of the invention constituting my improved method are illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in Which Fig. 1 shows in side elevation, with parts broken away, the inner securing section or stud of a button;

Fig. 2 is a similar view of the associated securing section or eye;

Fig. 3 similarly illustrates the blank or body portion; 4 shows in central vertical section the bringing into co-operation the blank and eye, and causing the seating ot' the depression in the blank upon the eye;

Fig. 5 illustrates in a like manner the holding of the blank;

Fig. a central vertical section illustrating the step of expanding the stud within the eye shanks and blank;

Fig. 7 is aperspective view of the anvil employed for this purpose;

l ig. 8 is a transverse sectional detail taken at the center of Fig. 5, the co-operation of the end of the studwith the anvil being particularly shown;

Fig. '9 is a view similar to Fig. 6, bringing out the completion of the step illustrated in the latter; and

Fig. 10 "is a View, partly in side elevation and partly in vertical section, of the com- ,ileted button.

' 1n the performance of this metho d, 1 preier'to employ button elei'nents consisting of a body portion or blank 10, and securing portions 12 and 14, shown as furnished. respectively, by an eye and a stud or milo. The body may be of pearl, in which case it is cut from sheets to the desired form, or it may be of composition, from which it is molded. It is tormechby boring or in the molding operati'on, with an axial opening .16, having about one end a concentric recess 18; while adjacent to the opposite end isa transverse slot or depression 20, shown asextending equally on opposite sides of the opening.

The eye 12 and stud 14 may be of malleable metal made in any convenient way, as by bending, rolling and stamping. The eye has parallel shank port-ions 22, 22, the exterior oi which are tormel as portions of cylinders with such a maximum diameter that, when inserted in the blank opening, they lie in proximity to its cylindrical wall. Upon the inside of the she. ks are opposite longitudinal grooves 24, the walls of which are also generally cylindrical. The ends of the shanks are preferably hooked at 26, the inner surlaces 28 of these portions being shown as extending substantially at right angles to the body of the shanks, while each outer surface 30- is inclined to converge toward the surface 28. The stud 14 has a cylindrical body portion, the diameter of which is such that it will it rather closely within the grooves .24 of the eye shanks. and has at its outer end head 82 provided with a fiatinner surface 34 and a rounded exterior 36, between which is a short wall 35 substantially concentric with the body of the stud and approaching in diameter that of the blank recess 18. The surface 36 may be plated, highly polished, or ornamented in any desired way, since it suffers no mutilation in the process of assembling, only its inner, concealed end being deformed. At the op posite end from'the head, the stud has a central conical depression 37 forming a reduced edge about it.

In assembling the parts, opposite clamping aws 38, 38 are caused to engage the eye to temporarily hold it against movement. The blank 10 is then placed with its opening 16 over the upturned ends of the shanks,

and is acted upon by separated-engaging members 40, 40, which are rotated as indicated by the arrows. These members have inclined inner contact surfaces 42 for frictional engagement withthe outer edges of the blank, thereby rotating it. These members 40 are arranged to first approach the blank and force it over the eye'shanks,simultaneously rotatingit, and then to retreat to release it. In themovement of approach, the friction between the members 40 and the blank causes the latter'to rotate about its axis, so that the grooves 20 will come successively into alinement with the curved portionot the eye, and by the bodily travel of the members be forced'together so that upon contact of the blank with the eye, the depressions of the former are seated upon the eye. that no torsional strain is brought upon the eye and blank, which blank is afteraninterval' released by the recession of the members 40 from it; After the removal ofthemembers 40, a pair of pressure members 41, 41, preferably formed of slightly yieldable material, as fiber, and shaped transversely along' the general curvature of the edges, of the;

button blank, are pressed against this to support it against rupturing stresses.

Then,'the friction slips, so

The

yieldab-ility of the material permits some" adaptation to the form of theblank, and" therefore avoids injury by the contactjofthe members with it; Then, through the eye 12 andopenings 44 inthe jaws 38, a pressureresisting member or an'vilj46 is thrust, hav;

ing upon one side a pyramidalcontact portion 48, which comes into alinement with the blank opening between separated portions of the jaws. The stud 14 is thereupon in:

serted into the grooves 24 of the'eyeshanks over the anvil, and a punch 50, having'its end generally contormingto the curvature of the exterior .of the stud head, isi forced against this. The pressure exerted between the punch and anvil expands over said anvil the reduced edge about the stud depression 37, causing it to overlie the curvedwalls of the eye and fix these twosecuring elements stud head.

together. The hooked portions of the shanks are also expanded at 54 to nearly fill the blank recess 18 beneath the wall as of the This more positively locks the hooked portions to the blank, so that all the elements are positively held against separa tion. During this operation, only slight lateral pressure is exerted by the outer surfaces of the shanks against the wall ofthe opening 16, but enough to cause the metal parts to almost completely fill the blank opening. The expansion of the hooked ends and the cylindrical wall 35 of the stud head also provides for nearly continuous contact of the stud head and hooked ends With the side wall of the recess. There is consequently no opportunity for lateral play anywhere along the securing portions, and since the wall 3 of the stud head is within the recess, there are no crevices in which fabric may be caught.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. The method of assembling a button having a body portion and securing portions, which consists in bringing thesecuring portions into co-operation within the body portion, and exerting pressure upon the opposite extremities of one of the securing portions to expand it while leaving the elements over the exposed face of the button in their original condition.

2. The method of assembling a button having a body portion and securing portions, which consists in inserting one of the securing portions between divided portions of another securing portion Within the body, and expanding the inner securing portion.

3. The method of assembling a button having a body portion and securing portions, which consists in inserting one of the securing portions between divided portions of another securing portion within the body, and applying pressure to opposite extremities of the inner securing portion to expand it.

4;. The method of assembling a button having a body portion and securing portions, one of which is divided and the other arranged to enter between the divisions, which consists in bringing the securing portions into co-operation within the body portion, holding said body portion to limit its expansion, and expanding one of the securing portions.

5. The method of assembling a. button having a perforated body portion and securing portions, which consists in introducing a securing portion into the perforation from one side of the body portion, causing said receiving portion to overhang the opposite side of the body portion from that at which it is introduced. thereafter, bringing another securing portion into co-operation with the thuslocated portion from the opposite side of the body portion, and pressing said securing portions together.

6. The method of assembling a having a perforated body portion and securing portions, which consists incausingthe location of a securing portion in and in engagement with opposite sidesof the body portion, bringing another securing portion into-co-operation with the thus located portion, and pressing said securing portions together to force said located portion over the body portion.

7. The method of assembling a button having a perforated body portion and securing portions, one of which has a hooked end, which consists in causing the location of the hooked portion in the body opening, bringing another securing portion into co-operation with the hooked portion, and pressing said securing portions together to, expand the hooked end over the body portion.

8. The method of assembling a button having a perforated body portion and securing portions, one of which has a hooked end, which consists in causing the location of the hooked portion in the body opening, bringing another securing portion into co-operation with the hooked portion, and pressing said securing portions together to expand the hooked end over the body portion and simultaneously to expand the other securing portion within the opening.

9. The method of assembling a button having a perforated blank, an eye provided with shanks and a stud, which consists in button causing the location of the eye shanks in the blank opening, pressing the stud between the eye shanks, and expanding the studto hold the shanks in the blank and said stud and shanks in engagement.

10. The method of assembling a button having a perforated,;recessed blank, an eye provided with hooked shanks and a headed stud, which consists in causing the location of the shanks of the eye in the blank openingwith the hooked portions entering the recess, and pressing the stud between the eye shanks with its head in contact with the hooked ends to expand said ends within the recess.

11. The method of assembling a button having a perforated, recessed blank, an eye provided with hooked shanks and a headed stud, which consists in causing the location of the shanks of the eye in the blank opening with the hooked portions entering the recess, and pressing the stud between the eye shanks with its head in contact with the hooked ends to expand the stud'between the shanks and the hooked end within the recess.

12. The method of assembling a button having a body portion provided with an opening and with a depression transverse turning the portions in contact with each other by frictional engagement until the securingportion and depression co-operate,

and permitting the friction" to slip until disengagement occurs. j

14. The method of assembling a button having a blank provided with an opening and with a depression transverse thereto and an eye provided with shanks, which consists in causing the location of the'eye shanks in the body opening, turning the blank by frictional engagement until the depression seats itself upon the eye, and permitting the friction to slip until disengagement occurs. v

' 15. The method of assembling a button having a body portion provided with an opening and with a depression transverse thereto and a securing portion, which consists in causing the location of a securing portion in the body opening, relatively turning said portions in contact with each other until the securing portion and depression .co-operate, and bringing another securing portion into co-operation with the first located portion. l v

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

ALBERT LATE-1AM 

